Every year, thousands of people die from this disease which could nevertheless be avoided thanks to a free vaccine.
It’s the unpleasant surprise before winter. The health authorities have even launched a “call for mobilization” in the face of the situation. In a press release published by the Burgundy-Franche-Comté Regional Health Agency This December 3, 2024, they are sounding the alert while the flu vaccination campaign is lagging behind. According to Health Insurance“the vaccination campaign against influenza and against Covid-19 is off to a slower start than the previous year.
Around 5.6 million vaccines were sold by pharmacies from October 15 – start date of the vaccination campaign, editor’s note – to November 10, 2024, which represents a drop of around 10% compared to last year. at the same period”. However, more than 17 million French people are invited to be vaccinated against the flu each year, in particular those over 65, people at high risk of serious illness, pregnant women or still around vulnerable people.
With the end-of-year holidays fast approaching, health authorities recommend getting vaccinated without delay. Please note that it takes approximately two weeks after the injection for the vaccine to be effective. It is therefore recommended not to hang around if you want to be more peaceful at Christmas. Beyond the holidays, we must be protected against the epidemic which is starting to take hold in France.
According to the latest bulletin from Public Health Francepublished on December 4, most indicators of the epidemic are increasing. Île-de-France is classified as an epidemic and five regions are in a pre-epidemic situation: Hauts-de-France, Normandy, Brittany, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Grand-Est. And this is just the beginning! “Given the winter period, the epidemic dynamics of respiratory viruses is likely to accelerate rapidly in the coming weeks and requires preparation,” warn the health authorities in the press release.
If the people affected by the campaign are not yet vaccinated, there is still time. “It’s never too late to do the right thing!” insists Dr. Jean-Christophe Nogrette, general practitioner. He reminds that it is possible to be vaccinated until January 31, the date of the end of the vaccination campaign. Finally, it is possible – and even recommended – to be vaccinated against flu and Covid-19 at the same time..